Fire-escape.



No. 879,439. PATENTED FEB. 18, 1908.

J. W. CAMPBELL.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLIUATION FILED APR. 30, 1907.

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FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 30, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' Y m OY' W W Q M ATTORNEY JOHN W. CAMPBELL, OF COLORADO SPRINGS,COLORADO.

FIRE-E SCAPE Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1908.

Application filed April 30, 1907. Serial No. 371,169.

0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN W. CAMPBELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at 0010- rado Springs, in the county of El Paso and State ofColorado, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fire-Escapes, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a fire escape consisting of an endless movingladder controlled by a particularly efficient fluid brake.

In the accompanying drawings to which reference is here made Figure l isside view of the device complete and ready for use. Fig. 2 is an endview of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the cylinder andillustrates its construction. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal cross section ofthe plunger andpiston rod and serves particularly to show the manner inwhich the flow of liquid is regulated. Fig. 5 is a cross sectional Viewof the cylinder taken on dotted line a, (1 Figs. 6 and 7 are,respectively side and plan views of rods which form rings of ladder.

Throughout the several views like charactersrefer to like parts.

Referring to the details of construction 1. is an endless detachablelink chain belt.

2 and 3 are endless cables passing through the ends of the ladder rings4. At the upper end the chain 1 and cables 2 and 3 pass over a drum 5having around its center a row of sprocket teeth adapted to engage thelinks in the chain. The drum 5 revolves on the axle 6 mounted. in thebracket 7. The bracket 7 is a substantial brace support securelyattached to the walls of the building. At the lower end, the endlessladder composed of chain, cables and rungs, passes over a sprocket drum8 constructed with a sprocket wheel at its center. The drum has on theopposite sides of the sprocket wheel cylindrical earns 9 and 10 whichengage the rollers 11 and 12 pinioned to the under side of the cylinder.The drum 8 revolves upon the shaft 14 having its bearing in thestandards 16 and 17. The frame shown in which ,operates all of themechanism at the lower backward and forward on the piston rod 19 by thecams 9 and 10 acting upon the rollers 1.1 and 12. The cylinder isprevented from turning over when in operation by the top plate. Toreduce the friction between the cylinder and top plate two longitudinalgrooves are cut in the plate and top of cylinder and these grooves arefilled with balls 31. One end of the cylinder is provided with aremovable cylinder head 20 and both ends have stuffing boxes as shownprovided with suitable glands 23 and 24. The cylinder is bored toreceive the plunger'25 secured to the piston rod 19, in the mostsuitable manner. The piston rod 19 has 'a hole 26 bored in it fromone-end past the port 28 to the port 27.

27 and 2-8 are suitably shaped ports connecting the hole in the pistonrod with the inside of the cylinder. A plunger 29 is fitted to the hole26 in the manner shown. This plunger at 32 is threaded to engage likethreads on the inside of the hole 26. plunger rod. is of a suitablelength so that when entirely screwed in, leaving only the shank 3Oprojecting, that the port 28 will be entirely closed. hen the plunger isscrewed out the port 28 is gradually opened as the plunger withdrawsfrom under it. Ordinarily it is found advisable to make the treadingsteep so that a few turns will su'llice to open or close the port.

The ladder rungs consist of short rods or pieces of tubing havingthreaded ends, slotted to receive the cables. The rungs are secured tothe cable by passing it into the slots and screwing on a nut untilsufficiently tight.

Having thus described the details of construction the method ofoperation may be readily explained. As will be seen in drawings the fireescape is to be situated so that the ladder will pass, by the side of,or if preferable in front of a window or door intended to "afford aplace of eXit in case of fire. The apparatus being installed thecylinder being filled with oil or other suitable fiuid, should a fireoccur and a person step on the ladder it would immediately begin to movedown ward. As it moves down the cams begin revolving and begin pushingthe cylinder back and forth. In order to move it is necessary todisplace the liquid in the cylinder, which as the cylinder moves escapesfrom compression through one of the ports 27 or 28 and the hole 26 tothe other end. It will now be seen that this flow will depend on theposition of the plunger .29 and the amount of The I should be screweduntil the port 28 was entirely closed the cylinder would of necessitysto and with it the ladder.

W hen installed the plunger would be regulated according to theanticipated load and by means of the shank 30 on the end of the plunger,the speed in case of fire could be readjusted by the firemen or othersuitable persons supplied with keys fitted to the shank 30.

The ease with which the movement of the ladder may be controlled orstopped is one of the particular merits of the invention. Anotherfeature is that the chain being in the center is not liable to bind andin this position the breaking of either cable would not necessarilyresult in an accident. The chief merit, however, is its greatsimplicity.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In fire escapes thecombination of an I endless ladder, an upper drum over which it moves, alower drum, suitable mechanism in connection with the said drum formoving a horizontal cylinder, a horizontal cylinder parallel with theaxis upon which the lower drum revolves said cylinder adapted to movebackward and forward along a piston rod .and in moving to force liquidfrom one end to the other thereby retarding the movement of the ladder,all substantially as described and for the uses and purposes set forth.

2. In a fire escape, the combination of an endless ladder, an upper drumover which said ladder passes, a suitable supporting apparatus for saiddrum, a lower drum, a suit able base in which'said drum and adjacentarts are mounted, cylindrical cams on said Ibwer drum, a fluid cylinder,rollers on the bottom of said cylinder, a horizontal piston rod on whichsaid cylinder is mounted, a stationary piston mounted on said pistonrod, said cylinder being adapted to move when the rollers are engaged bythe cams, means for preventing the cylinder from turn ing, and means forregulating the flow from one end of the moving cylinder to the other,substantially as described' '3. In fire escapes, the combination of anendless link chain, rungs passing through said link chain, two endlesscables passing through the outer ends of said rungs and to which saidrungs are secured, an upper drum over which the endless ladder passes,suitable brackets for supporting such upper drum, a lower drum, asprocket wheel on said drum which engages the chain as the said ladderpasses around it, a suitable base in which said drum and adjacent partsare mounted, cylindrical cams on said drum, a movable fluid cylinder,rollers on the under side of said cylinder for engaging said cylindricalcams, a piston secured in said base upon which said cylinder moves, aplunger attached to said piston rod, suitable means for regulating theflow of fluid, all substantially as described.

4. In fire escapes, the combination of a link chain, rungs passingthrough said link chain, slots cut in the ends of said rungs, endlesscables passing through said slots, nuts screwed upon the. ends of said.rungs for securing said cables, an upper drum over which said chain,rungs and cable pass, brackets upon the wall of the building forsupporting said drum, a lower drum, a suitable frame in which said lowerdrum and adjacent parts are mounted, a sprocket Wheel upon said lowerdrum for engaging said chain, cylindrical cams on said lower drum, amovable fluid cylinder, a stationary piston upon which said cylinder ismoved, said piston being secured in said frame, rollers upon the underside of said cylinder for engaging said cams, balls for reducingfriction between the top of the cylinder and the top plate, grooves inthe top of said cylinder for receiving said balls, a top plate on saidbase, grooves in the bottom of said top plate for receiving said balls,a plunger fitted to the said stationary piston, a longitudinal holebored in said piston rod, two ports cut in said piston rod on oppositesides of said plunger connecting with the said longitu dinal hole, aplunger fitted to said hole and long enough to entirely close one of theports when screwed in, a shank on the end of said plunger by means ofwhich said plunger may be screwed in any desired distance, allsubstantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have si ned my name in the presence of twosubscri ing wit nesses.

JOHN W. CAMPBELL.

In the presence of C. LEON McKEssoN, C. W. STIFF.

